Romania is the next country where the specialists from the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing conducted a pilot program of hearing tests for children. On 7th and 8th May, 2013, several specialists from the Institute, together with a Romanian partner dr Madalina Georgescu, director of the Medical Center OTOMED and national member of the European Federation of Audiology Societies (EFAS), examined hearing in 130 children of 6 to 8 years of age from 7 schools in Bucharest.
Pilot hearing screening programs, initiated by specialists from the Institute in various countries, continue promotion of the idea of detection and treatment of communication disorders in early-school-age children. This concept was one of the priorities pursued by the Institute during the Polish EU Presidency in the second half of 2011. Then, one of few initiatives of professor Henryk Skarzynski was to conclude the European Consensus Statement on “Hearing Screening of Pre-School and School-Age Children” in June 2011. The consensus was signed by 35 specialists from 27 countries, including Romania.
Percentage results of audiological tests conducted in 130 Romanian children do not differ significantly from those obtained in other countries, i.e. about 13% of the results indicated a suspicion of impaired hearing in one or both ears. This result confirms the necessity to implement screening tests in this age group. Accordance to pilot program principles adopted by the Institute, once a hearing problem is detected, a child is directly referred to local specialists in order to pass thorough hearing tests and to take proper treatment.